Cleft
by SynsOrion
Summary: A boy finds out that he is much more than what he ever thought he could be. no where near finished


**Title**: Currently unnamed

**Author**: SynsOrion

  
**Content**: PG

**Discription**:  A young boy finds out that he's the leader of a group of warriors.  Original story.  I'll try to write more if I get enough interest in it.

~*~

            Cleft sighed as he turned down the dirt road towards his village.  It was quaint, contained about twenty small houses, a store, blacksmith, weapons and armory shop, bakery, butcher shop, tavern, inn, a doctor's office, a library, and a school.

            He was about five foot five, a little short as far as the men in his village went, and fifteen.  His hair was sandy brown, long, and with the base hair around his scull about three inches in length.  His eyes were a dark brown that matched his mother's, and slanted up at the corners.  His ears, unlike those of the others that lived in his village, were long and pointed, the only thing that marked him as different.  They were the ears of the Namiana, those who this village was always fighting with.  Everyone except for his friend Tiea mocked him incessantly about it, but the worst one was Del.

            "Hey!  Cleft!"

            He turned, waving to Tiea, a girl, his age, with long brunette hair and brown eyes that were just slightly darker than his.  "Tiea!  What're you up to?"

            "Come on, you gotta help me!  Del's got a poor cat stuck in a tree.  I want you to get it down."  She grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the oak that he'd been leaning against and towards the outskirts of the forest that surrounded their small village.

            He stumbled after her, trying to keep up with the pace that she'd set so that he wouldn't fall.  It took them about two minutes and they were there; a small clearing with one single tree in the middle and a little black cat on one branch, meowing piteously.  Del stood nearby, throwing rocks and sticks at it.

            Cleft's eyes narrowed as he watched the poor creature.  "Del, stop it."

            Del turned, a slight smirk upon his face.  "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Namianan.  What are you gonna do, you pointed-eared freak?  You're nothing.  You're worse than nothing.  You don't even belong in this village.  Why don't you leave?"

            Cleft hung his head, tears in the corners of his eyes.

            "Lay off, Del and let the cat go!"  Tiea's eyes held rage deep within them.  She'd taken just about as much as she could…

            "And you!  Taking the side of the Namianan!  You're even worse than he is!  You two deserve each other!"

            Cleft looked up.  "Don't talk to her like that, Del."  His voice, instead of having the usual frightened trembling within it, was cold.

            Del backed up, surprised.  Cleft had always been a gentle soul, his spirit broken long ago by the torments of the other villagers.  This wasn't normal.  What was happening?  Why was he acting so differently?  "Leave the cat alone, Del."  Del couldn't explain it but something about that look scared the living daylights out of him.  He fell to the ground then, after struggling to his feet, ran back to the village.

            Cleft climbed up into the tree, reaching for the small cat.  "Come on…I won't hurt you."

            Tiea shielded her eyes from the sun as she watched him get the cat to come into his arms.  "Hey, Cleft?  It's your sixteenth birthday tomorrow, right?"  Cleft nodded as he started back down, the affectionate cat in one arm.  He jumped to the ground, landing easily on his feet before letting the cat go.  He dusted himself off, looking up at Tiea as he did so.

            "Yeah, it's my birthday.  So?  Not like it really matters anyway."

            Tiea flinched, remembering his last birthday.  His mom…she…she had been so mean…  "Don't worry, this time everything will be different, you'll see."

            He shrugged.  "I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you.  I'll just go into the forest like I usually do and try not to bother anyone."

            She sighed.  "Come on, let's go back to the village."

            A face watched them from the trees, concealed behind a hood.  "Yes, your sixteenth birthday will be a big day for you.  You better get a lot of rest."

~^~

            It was dusk, with the orange and pink hues of the setting sun lighting the western sky.  The crickets were just starting to call out their songs as a cloaked figure made its way up the path to the small village.  The guard stopped him.

"Who are you?"

            He bent his head toward the ground, hoping that he wouldn't be found out.  "I am a traveler.  I was wondering if I could rest in your village for tonight before going on."

            The guard's eyes narrowed untrustingly.  "Are you friends with the Namiana?"

            "Who?"

            The guard shifted into a more comfortable position.  This man had never even heard of them.

            "I just got to this part of the country so I don't know anyone."

            "Well, you can stay here for tonight, but you better not cause any trouble, and you have to leave by the time that the sun's been in the sky for three hours."

            "I thank you for your hospitality, kind sir."

            The cloaked figure entered the village, heading in the direction of the inn and armory shop.

~^~

            Cleft was awakened during the night.  He didn't remember by what, nor did it matter because he woke frequently during the night.  He small room was filled with shades of gray and black shadows, a sliver of moon shown upon the floor, and reflected off the few metallic objects that he owned…and, something else.

            "…Cleft…" The voice came in a whisper, masculine and beckoning.  Cleft sat up straight, gazing about his room and squinting through the shadows of his dark room.  Then something moved out of the shadows and partially into the soft light that was cast by the moon, lighting up his cloak and the rings and studs that decorated his pointed ears.  "I've come to bring you home."

            "You're a Namianan…" Cleft got out of his bed, looking at the stranger with awe.  In his whole life he had never met someone that was like him.

            "Yes!" he whispered with urgency.  "I am!  As are you! You have to come to your true home.  Come with me."

            "But…Tiea…I don't want--"

            "It's already been taken care of, Cleft.  Come!"  He held out his hand to Cleft.  "Take my hand!"

            Cleft hesitated for a moment then took the offered hand as a blinding flash of bright light instantly filled the room.  He had the feeling that he was no longer anywhere.  But floating…then, the feeling was gone and he was on the ground outside the village, near the tree from which he had rescued the cat earlier in the day.

            The Namianan swayed slightly upon his feet then collapsed to the ground.

            "Kiev!"  Tiea ran out from the shadows to the fallen Namianan's side.

            "Tiea…?"  She looked up at Cleft, worry in her eyes.

            "I--I'm alright."  He got to his feet, still swaying.  "I just used up too much of my spirit energy, is all.  Teleporting twice in one night takes a lot out of you.  I guess that we'll have to go on foot."

            "You guys aren't going anywhere!"  The three of them looked up into the tree, seeing nothing.  Kiev quickly cast a light spell and they discovered Del, sitting in the tree limbs, a crossbow in his hands.

            "You've always wanted to get rid of Cleft, haven't you Del?  Then let him take us."

            "He can take Cleft for all I care but he isn't taking someone who's a regular villager.  You're gonna stay here!"

            "No!  I'm not, and you can't make me!  You stay out of this Del!"

            Kiev cast an ice spell and threw it at Del, knocking him from the tree.  He fell in a crumpled heap to the ground, not moving.  Tiea moved over to his body, feeling for a pulse: she looked up, tears in her eyes.  She had never seen someone get killed before, nor been so close to a dead body.  It frightened her.  "You--you killed him, Kiev.  Why did you have to kill him?"  The tears spilled over as she began crying.

            "Tiea, come.  We don't have time to worry about this.  He's just stunned.  His body's been frozen in time.  He'll wake and we'll be long gone by then.  I don't have strong enough magic to freeze him forever so he'll wake in about two hours.  He'll be just fine, a little sore from the fall perhaps.  Now, let's get going before someone else comes."

~^~

            "It's a two day walk to the village.  But, we should be far enough away from your old village that they won't find us before we start again.  Come and sit you two.  Cleft, it looks like you have questions, feel free to ask anything."  They all took a seat on the soft carpet of grass that was in the clearing that Kiev had chosen.  The Namianan leaned against a large boulder, his staff, next to him.  He had decorated it with metal rings, beads, ribbons, and feathers.  Tiea had chosen to lie down, as opposed to sitting and Cleft had his back to an oak.

            "How did Tiea know who you were?"

            "I met with her before that boy trapped the cat in the tree."

            "Why did you come to get me?"

            Kiev sighed.  "No one else believes this, but I believe that you are one of the Holy Warriors.  So I came to get you."

            "But, why now?  Why not before?"

            "The ability to use magic comes on a Namianan's sixteenth birthday.  If you had stayed longer they would've found out.  The Anatar despise anything that has to do with magic.  They would've killed you."

            "But why take Tiea?"

            "Isn't it obvious?  She's your only friend.  She may get along okay with the others in the village, but she isn't friends with them."  Cleft looked towards her to see if it was true and got a nod.

            "And what's a Holy Warrior?"

            "There's seven of them.  They're the Namianan fighting elite.  There's six at the village now, me included.  We're missing the seventh, the leader.  I believe that you are him."

            Cleft was silent for a moment, studying his hands.  So long…he'd never been needed before and now, suddenly he was a leader of a group of warriors?  He didn't even have a weapon.  He looked up at Kiev.  "And…who are you?"

            "I'm your half brother."

            "I--I have a brother?" Cleft asked in astonishment.

            Kiev nodded.  "I'm sorry, but our father died--"

            Cleft interrupted him.  "H--how?"

            Kiev smiled, shaking his head.  "Bar fight.  He was always getting himself into trouble.  It was just a matter of time until he picked a fight that he couldn't win and that's what he did."

            Tiea piped up as she looked over at Kiev.  'What about your mother?"

            "She's still alive.  She's a very nice woman, I'm sure she wouldn't mind adopting two more kids."  He gave Tiea a wink.  "Now, I believe that we all need some rest so let's try to get some sleep, okay?"

            That got positive answers from both of the youths and soon they were snoring gently.  Kiev sighed; looking up at the blue sky and white clouds that filled it.  'It may be daytime,' he thought to himself.  'But these two have been up since at lease midnight.'  He took hold of his staff, the metal rings clinking together softly.  He'd keep guard.  He could sleep when he got back to the village.

~^~

            Cleft and Tiea were roused by Kiev.  "Come on you two, it's time to get going.  We can't stay in one place for too long."

            They began walking once more, the two youths slightly groggy from not getting enough sleep.  "Hey, you two, I know what'll perk you up."  He held out his hand and three apples appeared above it.  "Here."  He handed them each one.  "I know it's not much but it'll have to do for now."  He bit into his apple, chewing it slowly as he glanced around, listening for anything out of the ordinary.  He turned his head, glancing behind, hoping…

            But he could hear it, the heavy footsteps of the Anatar, not far away.  They were coming…

            "Both of you!  Take my hands!"  Cleft dropped his apple as he grasped his half brother's hand and Tiea's, Tiea had crammed her apple in her mouth to be able to hold their hands, and Kiev had made his disappear.  He closed his eyes.  "I hope that I have enough spirit power to be able to do this!"  There was a flash of blinding light.

~^~

            Cleft looked up, gasping, then looked down at Kiev who lay limply upon the ground, breathing shallowly.  "Tiea!  Help me get Kiev to that village down there!"  Tiea, who had quickly polished off her apple, nodded in agreement.  They bore his weight between the two of them and slowly down the hill toward the village that was there.

            As they approached they could see two silhouettes at the entrance to the village, one carrying a scythe the other a large battle-ax.  Upon coming up to them they were stopped by the one with the scythe who swung his weapon before Tiea.  "I can not let you pass," he stated, his voice void of all emotion.  "You are not of the Namiana.  You will die by my blade."

            "Wait one sec, Drake.  I don't know who either of these two are, but they're carrying Kiev.  Didn't he go to get his half brother or something?  So…does that make you his half brother?"  He motioned towards Cleft with his large ax.  Cleft nodded.  He smiled at him.  "And then who is this young lady?"

            "She's Tiea.  My--my only friend."

            "Your only friend, eh?"  Cleft nodded.  "Well, I guess that we'll have to fix that then.  But, that shall all come in due time.  Now, back to the problem at hand.  Kiev fainted from teleporting didn't he?"  Cleft nodded.  He scratched his chin with his free hand.  "Now didn't I tell him that that would happen?  He never listens, does he?  He's not breathing well either is he?"  Cleft shook his head.  He sighed.  "Come with me then, you two.  Drake, you can handle the guard job can't you?"

            Drake, without any expression of feeling, nodded.

            "Okay then you two.  Come on!  Follow me!"  He walked down the path that was in the middle of the Namianan village, carrying his large battle-ax easily over his left shoulder, balancing it with one hand.  "Now, time for introductions.  I'm Lium, one of the seven holy warriors.  The man with the scythe that's kinda apathetic is named Drake, as I think that I've mentioned before.  He's also one of the seven holy warriors, as, I'm sure you know, is Kiev, whom you just happen to be carrying.  There are three more in the village, another guy, or, at least I think it is, and two women.  We're missing our leader.  Now."  He looked back at Tiea.  "I caught your name, but I didn't catch yours."  He motioned at Cleft with his free hand.

            "I'm Cleft.  I'm half Namianan and half Anatar," he stated, the bright red of shame high in his cheeks.

            Lium looked back at Cleft then looked forward once more.  "There's no need to feel bad about it, Cleft, no one's gonna hold that against you.  Besides, it was one of our people who made it happen.  We should be apologizing to you; after all, you're the one who had to live with it for sixteen years of your life.  Oh, here we are.  Come on in.  Haid is the best doctor in these parts, one of the holy warriors as well.  She'll fix Kiev right up, don't you worry."

            A Namianan woman with long, light brown hair smiled at them as they came through the door.  She wore a green hat and, like the rest, had earrings in her pointed ears.  "Welcome!  Kiev again, eh?  Lay him on one of the beds and step back."  Cleft and Tiea nodded as they laid Kiev's body on one of the ten empty beds.  Lium had chosen a corner to stand in, his ax resting against the wall next to him.

            Haid held her hands out above his body, closing her eyes in concentration.  A green light covered her hands then spread over Kiev's limp form, going into him.  She stepped back after a few minutes, her face shiny with sweat.  "He'll be fine.  Just give him about five minutes or so and he'll come around."  Cleft and Tiea nodded.

            The doctor looked over at Lium.  "So, who are these two?  This one isn't a Namianan either.  What's up?"

            "The boy, he just turned sixteen, his awakening.  His name is Cleft, he's been living with the Anatar, and Kiev there is his half brother.  The girl is Tiea."

            Haid nodded looking at both of the youths.  "Yes, you aren't a Namiana but you aren't an Anatar either."  Haid closed her eyes tightly.  "What are you then?  Where you raised with the Anatar as well?"

            "I--I don't know what you're talking about," Tiea stated, backing away behind Cleft.  No one else knew, how could this woman who had just met her possibly know?

            "I believe that you do.  What are you?"

            Cleft's eyes hardened.  "Stop it!  Leave her alone!"  He knew, he knew that he was the only one that Tiea had told her secret to as well.  He stepped further in front of Tiea in an attempt to protect her from Haid.

            "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.  I was saying that, if you were not one of the Anatar then the people of this village would accept you a lot easier if you were.  The fact that you're half Anatar won't bother them because you look like a Namianan.  I have this sense, I don't know why, but sometimes I know things that I shouldn't be able to know."

            Cleft's eyes hardened as he watched Haid wryly.  Lium walked up, setting a hand on his shoulder.  "It's alright Cleft, she did that to me on her birthday too, scared the hell outta me.  There she is, blabbing all my secrets to anyone who just might be listening."

            "I'm sorry Lium, I didn't know what was going on."

            He shook his head, a slight grin on his face.  "It's alright, Haid."

            Cleft and Tiea looked up at the two older Namiana, Cleft's eyes held suspicion and Tiea's a knowing.  There was a grin on her face as she stared at Lium, whose face went bright red and he turned to look back at his large ax, of which he had left in the corner of the room.  "Well, I--uh… guess that I should get goin'.  Tell me when my bud wakes up, okay?"

            Just as the door closed Kiev sat up, rubbing his head.  "I guess that I shouldn't've done that, but I could hear the Anatar coming and I kinda panicked.  You two are all right, right?"  He looked over at Tiea and Cleft who both nodded.

            "Lium just left," Cleft stated.  "He wanted to be told when you woke up."

            "I'll tell him later.  Who else did you meet?  Did you see Drake?"  Cleft and Tiea nodded.  "Yeah, Lium and Drake are usually the guards, the council puts them together even though they are exact opposites.  Don't get on Drake's bad side.  I know that he doesn't talk much, but he could easily kill you in the blink of an eye.  He's not one to be trifled with.  And I see that you've met our doctor, Haid.  She's the magic expert of the holy warriors.  She's also a psychic.  Now the only two that you have to meet yet are Jiin and Cyrus.  Jiin uses the bow and arrow as well as a variety of throwing weapons.  If there's anything that we need to get into, Jiin would be the one to do it.  Cyrus, the poisons expert, is the Namiana Princess.  Her weapons are vials filled with concoctions that she's created.  If you see any of those laying around its probably best if you don't drink them or you'll have to make a trip to Haid so that she can work out all the poison in your system."  Kiev winced slightly, sitting up.  "I really shouldn't teleport so often.  Lium keeps warning me against doing it and I never listen.  But I had to get us out of there."

            "Yes," Haid interrupted. "No more teleporting for the next two days.  You shouldn't abuse your body like that.  It was really worn down."

            "Two days?  I can live with that.  I won't need to teleport for at least that long."

            "And you're just lucky that taking others with you doesn't make it worse or you might be dead by now.  Go tell Lium that you're all right now.  He's worried about you."  Haid turned around as she began folding up towels.

            Kiev shrugged, looking at Cleft and Tiea.  They both nodded as the trio left to go find Lium at his guard post.

            "Hey!  Lium!"  Kiev ran up to his friend.  "I'm fine now, okay?"

            There was a small grin on Lium's face as he watched Kiev come over to him.  "You know, Kiev, you shouldn't really be running.  It'll tire you out and, added to all that spirit energy that you used, that's probably not a good thing."  Kiev went to a walk as he continued the rest of the way to his friend.

            "I'm sorry," he stated, stopping, as he set the bottom of his staff on to the ground, the metal rings that were attached clinked softly together as he did so.

            Lium's face held a slight grin as he said, "Well, you should be."

            Cleft turned to Tiea, his face a mask of confusion.  "I don't understand--"

            She laughed.  "Cleft they're friends.  They're just having fun with each other.  There's not really much to understand."  Tiea turned to the two older Namiana.  "Now, I've heard that Cleft's birthday was supposed to be an important day for him.  I've also heard it called his awakening.  What was supposed to happen?  Because nothing much did.  I mean, apparently, when Haid turned sixteen, she started doing weird things right away.  Why didn't Cleft start doing weird things yesterday?"

            "Well," Lium started, reaching a hand up to scratch the back of his head.  "It's actually hard to say.  He might've started the change inside and we can't tell just yet or it might be the fact that he's half Anatar and his powers might take longer to awaken.  Either way, he will begin to show changes eventually.  He'll be stronger, for one thing, and he'll soon be able to use magic.  Won't even need to be taught anything.  A Namianan's magic is their personal magic that they call up from their soul.  Besides the masters, no two Namiana know exactly all the same spells.  The spells they do know fit their needs.  He'll also be able to use a weapon without any practice with it before.  Take me for instance, one day, about a week or so after my awakening, I went and had the blacksmith make this huge ax for me.  No idea why, either.  It was the weirdest feeling that I'd ever had.  When I got it I could use it, I knew just what to do.  It'll be the same thing with little Cleft there."  Cleft's cheeks turned bright red.  It was true.  He was short for an Anatar and for a Namianan.  "Ah, but you'll grow.  That usually comes when you're eighteen or so.  I was five foot two for the longest time.  Now I'm taller than Kiev here.  Of course, he is only five seven," Lium said with a laugh.

            Kiev turned on him.  "Hey!  You said that you wouldn't bring that up any more!"

            "Sorry!  Couldn't help myself!  But you have been a little testy ever since Drake and I got taller than you haven't you?"

            Kiev's face turned scarlet with anger.  "Aw, come on, Kiev!  I'm sorry.  We're still pals, right?"  The red faded from his face as he sighed.

            "I could never stay mad at you, could I?  Geez…"  He trailed off.  There was no way that he could stay mad at his best friend.

            "So, when are we gonna meet Cyrus and Jiin?"  Tiea questioned.

            Kiev looked over at the two youths.  "We can go find them now if you want."  They both nodded eagerly.  Kiev grinned slightly.  "Well," he turned to Lium.  "We'll see you around lunch then okay?"  Lium nodded as he joined Drake at the gate to the village.


End file.
